CITY POLICE COURT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25214, 1 May 1943, Page 2

CITY POLICE COURT

Friday, April 30 (Before 'Mr H. W. Bundle, S.M.) Price Regulations John Herbert Hillsdon Hutton, who was represented by Mr W. McAlevey, pleaded guilty to a charge of selling goods at a price exceeding the standard price while engaged in the business of selling arms and ammunition which he had commenced after September 1, 1939.—Mr F. B. Adams, who conducted the prosecution, said that the defendant had sold a box of 50 .22 cartridges at 15s. The standard price at September 1, 1939, was 2s a box, and under the regulations the defendant had no right to exceed that price without obtaining permission. More recently the price had been reviewed, and such cartridges as were available might notv be sold at 3s 9d a box. The price which the defendant had charged was 71 times the standard price and exactly four times the price which the tribunal had now sanctioned.—Mr McAlevey stated that similar boxes of cartridges had been sold at auction for 9s and 13s respectively, but Mr Adams explained that auction sales were not covered by the regulations, which applied only to those engaged in the actual business relating to the goods.—The defendant was fined £7 10s and costs (10s), and he was ordered to pay solicitor’s fee (£3 3s). Licensing Breaches Horace Wilson, the licensee of the Rugby Hotel, for whom Mr E. J. Anderson appeared, pleaded guilty to a charge of selling liquor after hours, and was fined £2O and costs (10s).—Ian Sinclair Murray (a foundrv worker), Alex. Mclntyre (a waterside worker), Herbert Smith (a jute worker), Thomas Landrath (a freezing works employee), and Hector Tutihonuki Karetai (a shop assistant), who were charged with being unlawfully on the licensed premises, were each fined 20s and costs, and on a similar charge Phillip Coory (a soldier) was convicted and ordered to pay costs (10s). Benjanmin Parker, licensee of the Victoria Hotel, who was represented by Mr White, was fined £2O and costs (10s) on a charge of selling liquor after hours, £5 and costs for supplying liquor to persons under 21, and 20s and costs (10s) for failing to keep a record of liquor supplied to a boarder. Term of Imprisonment James Henry Crane, an engineer, aged 44, pleaded guilty to a charge of harbouring an escapee from the Child Welfare Department—Detective Sergeant Le Sueur said that the girl, who was now 17 and was in the care of the State, had left the foster-home in which she had been placed. She was found living in a furnished house at Port Chalmers with the accused, who had not been returning to his own home in Dunedin.—Mr O. G. Stevens, who appeared for the accused, said that Crane and his wife had not been on good terms. With the wife’s knowledge, the accused and the girl had become attached to each other. Counsel said he understood that the wife had consulted a solicitor regarding divorce proceedings, and the accused desired to marry the girl at the earliest opportunity.—The accused was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment. Dangerous Dog Charles Boyes pleaded not guilty to a charge of being the owner of a dangerous dog.—The evidence for the prosecution was that the defendant’s dog had attacked a postwoman and bitten her, but the defendant submitted that it was not his dog which had done so.—The magistrate entered a conviction and ordered the defendant to pay costs (17s). He also made a declaration that the dog was dangerous, and had bitten the complainant, adding that if the dog caused further trouble it could be seized by a constable and killed. Theft of Bicycle Ronald James Blair, a fisherman, aged 18, pleaded guilty to the theft ox a bicycle, valued at £5, the property of some person or persons unknown.—Detective Sergeant Le Sueur said that the accused, who had a long list, had been released last Saturday on licence from the Borstal Institution.—The accused was remanded in custody until Friday next so that inquiries could be made in Invercargill. Stolen Pay Warrant “ This was a most despicable theft,” said the magistrate in respect to Norman Hansen, a soldier, aged' 18, who pleaded guilty to the theft of a pay warrant for the sum of £2 12s.—The police stated that the complainant was a sister-in-law of the accused, whose brother was a prisoner of war. The warrant had been posted to her, and the accused had opened the envelope, endorsed the warrant, and received payment. The accused was convicted and placed on probation for 12 months. He was ordered to make restitution. Drinking in Train Charged with drinking liquor in a train, Donald McLachlan (a labourer) was fined £3 and costs (10s), and for a similar offence Arthur John Young (a glazier) and Robert Maxwell Wyllie (an engineer) were each fined £2 and costs (10s). Obscene Exposure Thomas Joseph Hayes, a labourer, aged 40, for whom Mr C. J. L. White appeared, pleaded not guilty to a charge of obscene exposure, and was sentenced to six weeks’ imprisonment. Motoring Offences •* For offences against the motoring regulations, the following fines were imposed Alexander Humphrey. driving without due care and attention, £3 10s and costs (10s); Thomas Greaney and Edmund Eric Clench Hobbs, exceeding a speed of 30 miles an hour, £3 10s and £4 respectively, with costs (10s), in each case; George Alfred Brooks, unlicensed vehicle, 10s and costs (10s); Francis John O’Connell, exceeding the speed limit for heavy traffic, £2 and costs (10s). Frederick Peter Peterson, charged with being an unlicensed motor driver, was convicted and ordered to pay costs (12s).